Jackie Chan's son Jaycee arrested for using and possessing marijuana as part of Beijing’s crackdown on drugs
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Version 0 of 1. The son of the kung fu film star Jackie Chan is the highest-profile celebrity to fall to Beijing’s nationwide crackdown on drugs, after he was arrested on suspicion of using and possessing marijuana. Actor and singer Jaycee Chan, 32, tested positive for marijuana on Monday and police found 100 grams of the drug at his home. Police also arrested a Taiwan movie star, Ko Chen-tung, after a test found he used marijuana. Mr Chan and Mr Ko were arrested in central Beijing after police got a tip-off from residents, the state-backed Global Times reported. The use of drugs in China, particularly synthetic drugs like methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy, has grown, along with the rise of a new urban class with greater disposable income. Drug-related crimes carry harsh penalties in China, including death or life imprisonment in serious cases. The authorities have detained more than 7,800 suspects on drug-related charges this year, up 72 per cent from a year earlier, the Xinhua news agency reported. Jackie Chan’s management company issued a statement on behalf of Jaycee, saying it was standing by him. Chan, 60, served as a goodwill spokesman for the China National Anti-Drug Committee in 2009. Foreign and Chinese patrons of Dos Kolegas, a popular Beijing bar inside a drive-in movie theatre, were spot-tested for drugs earlier this month, according to media reports, resulting in several being detained. State media have frequently referred to drug use as a form of moral corruption that is damaging to society. China’s government had quelled the spread of drugs, particularly opium, since the Communist Party took power in 1949. But the past several years have seen a resurgence. Last week, a group of 42 entertainment management firms said they had signed a deal with Beijing police that they would not work with celebrities who used drugs. China has detained a string of other minor celebrities in recent months on drug-related charges. Reuters |